Aquaculture for all

Farmer Plans to Raise Eels in Rice Paddies

Eels Environment Technology & equipment +3 more

AUSTRALIA - A rice grower with a passion for aquaculture is on a mission to prove eels can be commercially grown on his farm in the New South Wales Riverina.

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Eel is considered a gourmet food in Asia, and with dwindling global stocks, it's in high demand, reports ABCRural.

Conargo farmer Lachlan Bull says while the eels will live in the rice for four months, it's unlikely they'll frighten off rice-hungry ducks.

"Actually, I was devastated when I found out that the style of eels would actually go up and eat the ducks, I thought it might be the larger eels," he said.

"But these style of eels don't. They eat small fish and the ducks basically wouldn't be a threat and the other birds that we see in the area.

"The eels would be too big to become a threat."

Mr Bull says he's received support from the NSW Department of Fisheries and another eel breeder in Victoria to get the project off the ground.

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